The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. – John 10:10
The Devil is often seeing how he can rob us of things, including knowledge that contributes to abundant life.
Being shrewd when it comes to identifying the thief’s evil tactics helps us not fall prey to them.
Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves. – Matthew 10:16
Being humble and innocent of evil keeps our conscience clean when the Accuser (or Christians in the church who are tricked into accusing) accuse evil for having a certain knowledge of something good that God created.
To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. – Titus 1:15
1. Kill
The enemy kills our use of the knowledge by making us lazy and distracted.
But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil. – Hebrews 5:14
Those who become out of practice, forget how to handle solid food. Individuals may be able to get back into practice, but if they do not pass on the knowledge to the next generation, the knowledge can be lost for generations, until it is rediscovered, perhaps most often by a sovereign move of God.
2. Destroy
Corrupt
3. Steal
